To Be A Princess
by Fae'sFlower
Summary: It's time for Oz's biennial debutante ball for Oz's most prestigious families, hosted by the Wizard himself, and a certain green girl is invited to participate. She has no interest in participating, but when her father makes a deal with her, she concedes. But it's not like she would actually enjoy it, right? Pre-Shiz. Fiyeraba. AU.
1. Not Going

**So, this story is actually based on my actual experience as a debutante. There will be some differences, one of them being that I actually** ** _wanted_** **to be a debutante. Elphaba, on the other hand… not so much. Enjoy!**

 **Also, this is my 60th story! Yay! Chocolate cake for everyone!**

* * *

"Governor Thropp, the mail," the footman said as he entered Frex's office with the mail.

Frex looked up and stood. "Thank you," he said, taking the mail from the footman.

"Of course, sir," the footman bowed before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him.

Frex sighed as he went through the mail until a large, emerald green envelope caught his attention. He put the rest of the mail down neatly on his desk before turning his undivided attention to the letter. There was only one place this letter could have come from. The Wizard. Grabbing his letter opener, he slowly tore open the envelope and pulled out a packet with the official seal of Oz at the top. His eyes scanned over the first page and the ends of his lips curled into a very, _very_ small smile that would have not been noticed unless someone was studying his face. Sighing, he made his way out of his office in search of his eldest, green daughter. He didn't have to search lone and found her in the parlor, curled up in an armchair by the fire, reading a book. "Elphaba."

The green girl looked up and assumed a more lady-like position. "Father."

"You have mail."

Elphaba eyed the emerald envelope in her father's hands. "Oh?"

"It's from the Wizard."

Elphaba straightened. The Wizard was sending her mail? "What's it about?"

"It is time for his biennial ball."

A slim eyebrow rose. "And how does this concern me?"

"You have been invited to participate."

Elphaba scoffed and closed her book. "I do not wish to participate."

"Elphaba, it would be good for you. As the future Governor of Munchkinland, it is mandatory for you to develop… social graces."

Elphaba looked up and met her father's gaze. "Social graces? I attend the balls you throw, I speak to everyone, I attend meetings when you force me to, what more can I do?"

Frex sighed. This obviously was going to be harder than he expected, and he didn't expect it to be a walk in the park. "As the future Governor…"

"Which we both know I do not wish to accept," Elphaba interrupted.

"But you don't have a choice."

"You want to give the Governorship to Nessa. You trust her more. Neither of us have a choice because the Munchkinland Parliament won't let you leave it to her," Elphaba said, taking her glasses off and cleaning them with her skirt, something she knew irritated her father to no end.

Frex didn't respond. He knew she was right. He did want to give the Governorship to his precious Nessarose. "That doesn't… Elphaba, you're sixteen years old now, and…"

"I also know the other reason you're forcing me to accept it. You don't want to burden Nessa with responsibility that comes with the Governorship. You love her too much to do that," Elphaba said bitterly, refusing to look at her father.

Frex heard the deeper hurt laced within his daughter's words. He didn't deny it. He did love Nessa more than he loved Elphaba, but he would never admit it. At least, not directly.

"You don't have to deny it. I did not choose to be the firstborn of this family. Though, if something 'tragic' were to happen to me…"

"Elphaba!" Frex gasped, horrified.

"What? It's true." Frowning, Elphaba stood up and made to walk past her father. "I will not go."

"Elphaba, stop!" Frex yelled as Elphaba brushed past him and stormed up the stairs to her room.

Ignoring her father, Elphaba stomped off and slammed her room door behind her. The young maid who had just finished making Elphaba's bed jumped at the loud noise and whipped around. She softened when she saw Elphaba.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jira. I didn't mean to startle you," Elphaba said as she forced herself to calm down and sat down on her bed.

The twenty-four year old maid chuckled. "It's perfectly alright, Miss Elphaba," she smiled, tucking a section of her auburn hair behind her ear and fixing her maid cap. "Is something wrong?"

"It's my father," Elphaba admitted. "He's forcing me to participate in the Wizard's debutante ball."

"That sounds like fun," Jira smiled. "You don't want to go?"

"No. For one thing, I'm green. I don't fit in anywhere, especially at such a high-society event like that. Plus, I have better things to do with my time than to be surrounded by prissy, stuck up airheads while having a stupid tea party."

"The idea of fancy things has never fascinated you, has it?"

"No, it's something Nessie would like."

"But she's not old enough. And she doesn't have claim to any of the titles."

Elphaba sighed. "I know. But Father wants to give them to her. She wants them. I do not. He should give it to someone he loves. I'm sure that would be so much easier for him."

"Your father _does_ love you."

Elphaba scoffed. "Yeah, right. And I'm Ozma."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door and it opened, revealing Frex. "Jira, I would like to speak with Elphaba alone, please."

"Of course, sir," Jira nodded, curtsying before casting the green girl a small smile over her shoulder and leaving.

"I don't want to go," Elphaba frowned.

"Elphaba –"

"I won't fit in there. I won't fit in anywhere except probably in a swamp somewhere. You know I hate social gatherings. I don't have time for all of those prudish, phony, rich, society girls who have more pairs of shoes than brain cells. Plus, I despise corsets."

"Even if this deal includes going to Shiz University?" Frex asked, sensing Elphaba's rant was finished.

Elphaba froze. "Wh-What?"

Frex nodded. "If you go, I will send you to Shiz University."

Elphaba bit her lip, considering the deal. It was her dream to study at Shiz, but she knew her father wanted to send her to Munchkinland University because of their excellent government and politics programs. Plus, he also wanted her to stay in Munchkinland and get to know the people she would soon govern over, and where he could keep a close eye on her. "What's the catch?"

"There's no catch."

"There's always a catch."

The Governor sighed. "Just… this would be good for you, Elphaba. At least try. Please."

What Elphaba said next surprised both of them. "Alright. I'll do it."

Frex looked surprised, expecting his daughter to protest more. "You will?"

Elphaba nodded. "When is it?"

"At the end of May, but you will travel to the Emerald City for lessons every other weekend."

"Well, I guess I can survive this for a few months if that means studying at Shiz for four years. It's not like I have anything better to do on the weekends anyway."

"Elphaba, please."

"What? I'm going. What more could you possibly want from me?"

Frex handed Elphaba the emerald envelope. "You must fill out this packet."

Elphaba took the packet and sighed. "Alright."

"This will be good for you, Elphaba. I hope you at least try to enjoy it."

Elphaba snorted. "I doubt that."

Frex was about to say more, but decided against it. He simply nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Elphaba stared at her closed door before taking the packet out of its envelope. She saw that she had to sign a commitment contract, fill out a registration form, and compete two brief autobiographies, one for the debutante journal, and one that she would memorize and recite at the cotillion. She clenched her fist, wishing she didn't agree to going, but she knew her father would have made her go, even if he didn't make the deal to send her to Shiz. She quickly signed the contract and looked at speech before lazily filling it out.

"Miss Elphaba?" Jira asked, softly knocking on the door.

"Come in, Jira," Elphaba called.

The maid entered and walked up to the green girl. "Are you alright?"

Elphaba sighed. "It's just… I just wish he just admit that he loves Nessa more than he loves me instead of pretending that he doesn't. It would make everything so much easier."

"Miss Elphaba…"

"I don't get it. I go to those meetings with him and do everything he wants me to do. I watch over Nessa, his beloved, precious daughter. I don't know what else to do. What else could he possibly want from me?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Elphaba."

"I don't care. I made it this far without his love and I'll be fine after this."

Jira sighed, not knowing what she could say to make the green girl feel better. "Chef says that dinner should be ready soon."

"I'm not hungry."

Elphaba's stomach grumbled and Jira laughed softly. "I could bring your dinner up here, if you wish."

The green girl smiled softly. "Yes. Thank you, Jira."

The maid curtsied. "You're welcome, Miss Elphaba."

* * *

 **Reviews are super awesome!**


	2. High Tea

**Thank you all so much for your reviews. I now it's a bit hard to picture this concept, but it only made it more fun for me to write.**

* * *

Elphaba watched, with a look of pure dread and distaste, as Jira packed her suitcase. She was dreading this day. It was to be her first weekend in the Emerald City. She had always wanted to travel to the Emerald City, but under different circumstances, of course.

"Try to enjoy it, Miss Elphaba," Jira said as she closed Elphaba's suitcase and turned to face her. "You might actually end up enjoying yourself."

"I would enjoy myself even more if I just stayed here," Elphaba mumbled.

Jira chuckled softly and gently grabbed Elphaba by the arms and turned her around to face her. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes," Elphaba nodded.

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure, Jira."

The maid smiled and lightly patted the green girl's arm.

"Elphaba."

Elphaba turned to see her father standing in the doorway. She neatly rested her hands against her abdomen and nodded curtly at him. "Father."

Frex scanned his eldest daughter over and frowned slightly. "Aren't you going to wear something with a bit more… color?"

"I'm green. I can't get much more colorful than this."

"That's not what I meant." The green girl was currently wearing a long, black dress with long sleeves and a high collar. Her hair had been curled and held back with a large, emerald ribbon in an elegant ponytail. "You look like you're going to a funeral."

"I might as well be," Elphaba muttered.

Frex pretended not to hear her as he continued. "You're going to a high tea. This is where you'll meet the other girls in the program. You must put your best foot forward."

"That would be my right foot."

"Elphaba," Frex sighed, clearly growing impatient.

"I don't have another dress that is, as you say, suitable for this event."

"Thankfully, I had one ordered for you." One of the other maids carried in a dress covered in a thick, white plastic. "Change into this one."

"What color is it?" Elphaba asked, eyeing the dress.

"Elphaba, stop asking so many questions and, for once, do as you're told!" Frex barked.

Elphaba stepped back, clearly not expecting her father to snap at her like that. Fighting tears, she grabbed the dress from the maid and hurried into the bathroom.

Frex rubbed his temple. "I don't know where that girl gets that attitude from."

Moments later, Elphaba emerged, wearing an elegant, blue-violet dress with a long, flowing skirt and long, lace sleeves. A thin belt with small crystals hugged her waist as she walked back to her father, her gaze on the floor.

Frex's lips curled into a very thin smile. "You look… nice, Elphaba."

Elphaba nodded curtly and moved past her father to descend the grand staircase. She reached the bottom and saw her sister sitting in front of the fireplace in the parlor. She slowly walked into the parlor and coughed lightly, grabbing her sister's attention.

"Oh, Fabala," Nessa smiled, wheeling over to her sister and taking her hand. "You look so beautiful."

"Thank you, Nessie," Elphaba said, deciding it was better to entertain her sister's thoughts and just agree with her.

"I wish I was going to the Emerald City to be a debutante. You'll have a wonderful time. I just know it."

Elphaba wished that Nessa was going instead of her, but she would never admit that to her sister. "Thank you," she whispered, pulling her sister into a caring hug.

"I'll miss you so much."

"I'll just be gone for the weekend."

"I know. But we've never been apart for that long before."

Elphaba gently pulled away and placed her hand on top of her sister's. "You'll be alright, won't you?"

"Just… promise me you'll write," Nessa begged.

The green girl laughed softly. "Nessie, I'll be back Sunday afternoon. But the time you get my letter, I would have been back for at least three days."

The fourteen-year-old pouted a bit. "Fabala…"

"I'll tell you what. When I get back, I'll tell you all about the high tea and everyone there. Alright?" Elphaba promised, giving her sister a small smile.

"Alright," the younger Thropp agreed. "I love you, Fabala."

"I love you, too, Nessie." Kissing her sister's forehead, Elphaba rose to her full height and went to meet her father in the foyer.

Frex was standing patiently by the door. He wasn't smiling; he never smiled with Elphaba. She was lucky if she could get a half-nod of approval from him. The first thing Elphaba noticed was that her father didn't look like he was leaving with her. She bit her lower lip. Of course he wouldn't be coming with her. He would never leave his precious Nessarose.

"You may need this," Frex said, handing Elphaba a warmer coat. "The Emerald City has extremely cold winters. Not as cold as Munchkinland's, but still cold."

Elphaba took the coat wordlessly.

"Elphaba," Frex sighed, trying to chose his words carefully. "Make sure you –"

"I have done all I could to please you and it hasn't been enough… and nothing ever will be," the green girl hissed bitterly as she grabbed her suitcase and walked past her father towards the carriage.

"Elphaba!" Frex called, but his daughter ignored him and climbed into the carriage.

The driver closed the door behind her and the green girl looked away. She was jolted forward slightly as the carriage pulled off. She didn't looked back at her home. She should be relieved. She was leaving Munchkinland for the weekend, but something was preventing her from feeling that relief. Oh, that's it! She had to spend her time in the Emerald City training for some beauty pageant.

"It was bad enough you cursed me with this horrid, green skin," Elphaba whispered to no one in particular. "And the pressure of becoming the next Governor of Munchkinland, and now I have to waste my time at a stupid beauty pageant."

After a long four-hour carriage, the carriage finally stopped in front of the Grand Emerald Hotel. Elphaba looked out the window for the first time and saw herself surrounded by green.

The Emerald City.

Elphaba took a deep breath and smoothed out the skirt of her dress. She should at least try to act like a lady. The driver opened the door and offered her his hand. Elphaba stepped down, nodding politely to the driver before grabbing her suitcase and looking up. She gasped. She had never seen buildings as tall as Quoxwood trees. For the first time, she felt small, despite her abnormal height for a munchkin. Gulping down the lump in her throat, she headed towards the double doors. A young bellboy opened the door for her and nodded politely.

"Good afternoon, miss," he smiled.

"Good afternoon," Elphaba nodded, forcing a smile.

"Ah, yes. You must be Miss Elphaba Thropp, the Governor of Munchkinland's daughter," a voice called as soon as she entered.

Elphaba looked up and saw a middle-aged woman with greying brown hair tied back in a tight bun approaching her. Her thin lips were pressed tightly together, but the ends were curled into a hardly noticeable smile.

"Yes," Elphaba said, standing up straighter.

"It is very nice to meet you, Miss Elphaba. I am Miss Greyling, the coordinator of the ball."

"Likewise, Miss Greyling." Elphaba noticed how the older woman wasn't taken aback by her skin. She was used to the reaction and didn't exactly know how to react to someone not noticing, or not caring.

The older woman gently took the green girl's arm and began to lead her away. "You can leave your luggage here. We will have someone bring it up to your room. I trust you know you will be sharing with a roommate. It is for the safety of everyone."

"I am aware," Elphaba nodded, secretly dreading the fact that she would have to room with one of the other girls for the weekend.

"Please announce Miss Elphaba Thropp, the Governorship of Munchkinland's daughter," Miss Greyling said to the herald. "The other girls are in the ballroom for tea," she said to Elphaba.

Elphaba nodded as she heard the herald announce her. She stepped into the ballroom with Miss Greyling and immediately felt everyone's eyes on her. She heard a few soft gasps and saw a few of the girls whispering behind their hands, but didn't pay them much attention.

"Feel free to sit wherever you like and enjoy the refreshments," Miss Greyling said as she lightly patted Elphaba's arm and left her side.

Without looking at anyone else, Elphaba quickly made her way to the refreshments table and poured herself a cup of tea and grabbed two mini finger sandwiches. She saw an empty table in the far corner and was immediately drawn to it, but the whispers didn't escape her.

"Who is she?"

"The Governor of Munchkinland's daughter is green?"

"She's going to the far table to sit by herself."

"She probably thinks she's too highly to mingle with us, despite her… skin condition."

"She's such a weirdo."

Elphaba smiled to herself. In Old Munchkin, 'weirdo' meant 'controller of destiny'. _But it's not like they would actually know that,_ Elphaba thought as she sat down and pulled out the book she had snuck in.

"Who's the green bean?" a petite blonde asked, fanning herself with her pink fan, despite the cold temperature.

"Miss Galinda, weren't you listening? That's Elphaba Thropp, the Governor of Munchkinland's daughter," one of the girls sitting beside the blonde said.

"She's… green," Galinda whispered, disgust evident in her voice.

"I wonder why," one of the other girls whispered.

"Her parents must have committed a really awful sin to have been cursed with a green child," a brunette, Pfannee, said, quietly sipping her tea.

"What crime did the Governor commit?" Galinda asked, frowning slightly.

"Well… maybe not him, but his wife. I've heard rumors that she wasn't entirely… faithful," Pfannee whispered.

"The scandal!" the girl sitting on Galinda's left, ShenShen, gasped.

Elphaba bit her bottom lip and clenched her fists. How dare those girls talk about her family like that. It was true, her mother wasn't in love with her father when they first married, but she grew to love him. She could remember her mother telling her stories about a man she was madly in love with before she was arranged to marry Frex. She had even given her a little green bottle, saying that it belonged to the man she had loved.

 _"Mama? D'you wuv Papa?" little two-year-old Elphaba asked, sitting on her mother's lap._

 _"Of course I do, Fabala," Melena smiled, pulling her daughter closer and kissing her forehead. "And I love our little family."_

 _Elphaba placed her hand on her mother's slightly bulging abdomen. "Will you wuv the new baby, twoo?"_

 _Melena chuckled. "Of course, Fabala. But, I must tell you something. When the new baby comes, Papa and I will have to spend a lot of time with him or her, but that doesn't mean we love you any less."_

 _Elphaba frowned. "Papa doesn't love me."_

 _"Why, Fabala. Of course your father loves you. Why would you say such a thing?"_

 _"He avoids me. He barewy spweaks to me. He never smiles with me. He hates me."_

 _Melena sighed and gently combed her fingers through her daughter's hair. "He does love you, Fabala. He just needs a bit more time to get used to being a Papa."_

 _"Will he know by the time the new baby's born?" Elphaba asked, tilting her head to the side._

 _Melena nodded and nuzzled her nose against Elphaba's. "I'm sure he will, Fabala."_

Elphaba shook her head. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Frex was her father. Those girls must have been even more stupid than she originally thought if they believed every rumor they heard. Sighing, she turned back to her food.

"Attention, ladies," Miss Greyling said from the podium. "I would like to welcome you all to the Fifth Biennial Wizard's Debutante Cotillion. Now that you all have had a chance to mingle, I'm sure you would like to explore the city."

The girls began to chatter eagerly, but Elphaba stayed silent.

"You may roam the city, but you must be back here promptly at eight. You have a big first workshop tomorrow and I will not have anyone falling asleep during the session."

Everyone was excused and they filed out of the ballroom, all talking eagerly about the city. Elphaba slowly rose from her chair and walked out of the ballroom. She should at least try to find the Emerald City Library to get a few hours of peace and quiet.

* * *

 **Actually, it's true. In Old English, to be 'weird' means 'to control one's own destiny'. So remember, the next time someone calls you a weirdo, take it as a compliment. You're controlling your own destiny.**


	3. The Emerald City

**Super sorry for this late update! I was so tired and fell asleep, but here it is!**

* * *

Elphaba managed to find the library rather easily and spent her time sitting on the floor in a corner, surrounded by books. Before she knew it, the clock chimed the hour and she looked up. It was seven-thirty. Yawning, she rose to her feet and put the books she hadn't read back on the shelves. She grabbed her coat and left the library. She was walking back to the hotel when she stopped, something catching her eye. Turning, she eyed a beautiful emerald green scarf in the window. She was never much of a window shopper, but something about the scarf made her stop.

She walked inside and inquired of the lady behind the register how much the scarf would cost.

"Ten dollars," the lady said, giving Elphaba a quick scan.

Elphaba fished out her wallet from her bag and took out a ten-dollar bill and paid the lady for the scarf.

The lady got the scarf for her and offered to gift-wrap it. Elphaba smiled. "Yes, please."

The lady gift-wrapped it in a sparkly, emerald bag and tied it with a golden ribbon. She handed the bag to Elphaba, who thanked her before walking out of the store.

 _Nessa will love this_ , Elphaba thought to herself as she quickly made her way to the hotel. As soon as she walked through the doors, she was greeted by Miss Greyling, who immediately gave her the hotel room key. "You are in Room 502, on the fifth floor. Your roommate should already be there. Now, Miss Elphaba, you will have this roommate for the rest of your time with us, so please try to get along."

 _Why would she assume that I wouldn't get alone with whoever-she-is?_ Elphaba thought as Miss Greyling led her to the lift and pressed the 'up' button.

"You're luggage is already up in your room," Miss Greyling said as the door opened and Elphaba stepped inside.

"Thank you, Miss Greyling," Elphaba smiled as the door closed. She let out a sigh as she pressed the 'five' button and felt the elevator rise. When it opened again on the fifth floor, she stepped out and turned her head, searching for the golden plaque with her room number on it. She quickly found Room 502 two doors down from the lift. Taking a deep breath, she inserted the key into the keyhole and pushed the door open.

Her roommate turned around and gasped. It was the blonde girl from the ballroom. Elphaba suppressed a sigh as she mentally prepared herself.

"No, I'm not seasick. Yes, I've always been green. No, I didn't eat grass as a child," Elphaba ranted before she could stop herself.

Her roommate blinked. "I… I wasn't going to ask that. Just… _you're_ my roommate?"

"Unfortunately," Elphaba muttered, spotting her luggage on one of the beds.

"Well… my name is Galinda Arduenna Upland of the Upper Uplands, but you may call me Galinda," the girl said stiffly.

"I am Elphaba Thropp of Munchkinland, but _you_ may call me Elphaba," Elphaba said, just as stiffly.

"Well, Miss Elphaba, since we will be sharing this space on the weekends, we might as well get to know each other."

The green girl suppressed a snort. She had no interest in getting to know anyone here. As soon as this was all over, she could forget all about it and start planning for Shiz.

"Thank you, Miss Galinda, but I am not here to make friends. I am here for one reason and one reason only, and that one reason is not to socialize."

The blonde paused before speaking again. "Then… why are you here?"

"That is only for me to know," Elphaba said, opening her suitcase and grabbing her nightgown. Galinda stared at her new roommate as she marched over to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. _The rumors are right_ , she thought as she absently sat down on her bed. _She is strange._

* * *

The next day, all the girls gathered in the ballroom for the first workshop.

"Ladies, settle down, please," Miss Greyling said from the podium. "Today will be your first lesson. We will be discussing public speaking, which you will all need, giving your standings in society. Now, packets about to be handed out about how to conduct yourselves when speaking publically."

Elphaba took the paper handed her and glanced it over. _Public Speaking Tips, Breathing, Humming, Eye Contact…_

"Now, I assume you girls have completed the speeches we gave you."

All the girls took out their speeches. Elphaba took out hers and tried her best not to scowl.

"Who will be going first?" Miss Greyling asked, clapping her hands together.

"I will go first, Miss Greyling!" Galinda smiled, her hand shooting into the air.

"Very well, Miss Upland," Miss Greyling smiled, motioning for Galinda to come forward. "Don't forget to open with the quote you selected, say 'Good afternoon' and begin your speech."

The blonde smiled as she rose from her seat and gracefully walked up to the podium, her speech in hand. "Chin up, princess, if not, the crown falls. Good afternoon. My name is Galinda Arduenna Upland. I am the proud daughter of Larena and Highmunster Upland, Duke and Duchess of the Gillikin. I enjoy activities such as horseback riding, ice-skating, and ballet. I plan to take over the responsibility of governing the Gillikin from my parents in the future. Thank you."

Everyone clapped as the blonde stepped to the side and curtsied.

"That was wonderful, Miss Upland," Miss Greyling smiled as the blonde took her seat again. "Now, at the ball, after you give your speeches, you will bow to the audience. We will learn the bow later on. Who wants to go next?"

Elphaba tuned out as the other girls gave their speeches, hoping that she wouldn't be called on to rehearse hers.

"Well, ladies, that's enough for now. The rest of you who haven't gone will go next weekend when we see each other again. You may spend the afternoon in the city, but be careful and be back in time for dinner. You're dismissed."

"Miss Elphaba!" one of the girls called as Elphaba stood up to leave.

The green girl turned and noticed Galinda standing with between Pfannee, ShenShen and Milla. "Yes?"

"We were wonder if you wanted to come see the shops with us?" Pfannee asked, smiling at the green girl.

Elphaba stared at the girls for a moment. No, she couldn't. She didn't want to socialize. They were probably just faking it. Her green skin aside, she was still the daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I must decline," Elphaba said as she walked past the girls.

"But, Miss Elphaba, surely you don't to be by yourself?" ShenShen said, adjusting her bag strap.

"Oh the contrary. I _do_ want to be by myself. Good day, ladies." Elphaba finally managed to escape the girls and made her way to the library. She climbed a set of stairs to the top section and sighed, grabbing a few books from the shelves and finding an empty table in the corner.

 _Finally, some peace and quiet,_ Elphaba smiled as she opened up one of the books. She didn't know how long she was reading but a clock chime brought her out of her private thoughts. She looked up at the clock in the nearby tower. _Five-thirty_. Dinner was starting promptly at six o'clock, and she didn't want to think about what Miss Greyling would do if she was late. She took out a piece of paper and scribbled down the titles of the books she didn't get to read. She would be back next weekend, whether she wanted to be or not.

When she got back to the hotel, the girls were already starting to gather in the ballroom for dinner. She walked in and looked around. The tables were filling quickly and she spotted only one empty chair, right next to her roommate.

"Miss Elphaba!" Milla called, noticing the green girl.

Biting her lower lip, Elphaba slowly walked over to where the girls were sitting. _Control your temper, Elphaba,_ she reminded herself. _Don't embarrass yourself… or Father._ "Hello."

"So, Miss Elphaba, tell us about yourself," ShenShen said as a waitress appeared with their food.

"There's not much to say. I'm sure you girls know more about me than I do," Elphaba said, taking a sip of water.

The girls were quiet for a moment, knowing that the green girl was referencing the rumors about her.

"But, allow me to put your minds at ease. No, I am not seasick. Yes, I have always been green. No, I did not eat grass as a child."

The rest of dinner progressed slowly for Elphaba, who quietly ate her food, ignoring the conversation the girls had started, and had promptly excluded her from. She finished first, and sat quietly, wishing she could have brought a book with her. Soon, the dessert cart came around. She grabbed a small piece of apple pie and ate it rather slowly.

"Alright, ladies. Once you are finished, you are excused for bed. Have a safe trip back to your respective providences tomorrow."

The girls all stood up and walked out of the ballroom, chattering to each other about how much they would miss them during the week and how much catching up they would have to do next weekend.

"Miss Elphaba, will you stay a moment, please?" Miss Greyling asked, approaching the green girl.

"Yes, Miss Greyling?" Elphaba asked, looking up at the older woman.

"I was going over your application, and I realized that you haven't selected a lady-in-waiting or a male presenter."

"Yes, well, I don't know anyone who fits the qualifications."

"What about your father, the Governor? Would you like him to be your male presenter, since a lot of the other girls will be presented by their fathers?"

 _No!_ Elphaba screamed in her mind. "That would be fine."

"Excellent." Miss Greyling scribbled something down in Elphaba's application. "And your lady-in-waiting?"

"I… don't have anyone who would be able to…"

"Not to worry, dear," Miss Greyling smiled. "We will find someone for you."

Elphaba gave Miss Greyling a tired half-nod. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, my dear. You have a long travel tomorrow, so try to get some rest. Fresh dreams."

Elphaba nodded wordlessly and made her way to the lift. She pressed the button for the fifth floor and let out a puff of air. One more night and she would be back home in the solidary comfort of her own bedroom. A ding and the door opened. Elphaba stepped out and made her way to her room.

Galinda, who was sitting on her bed, brushing out her golden curls, turned as she heard the door open and saw her green roommate walk in. She was ignored as Elphaba grabbed her nightgown and disappeared into the bathroom to change.

"Miss Elphaba," she whispered meekly as Elphaba emerged, clad in a silky, silver nightgown.

"Yes?" Elphaba frowned, half-ignoring the blonde as she brushed her hair.

"I apologize for today… and for yesterday."

"It's alright," Elphaba said in a monotone as she braided her hair.

"No, it wasn't. It was rude and unbecoming of us."

"Like I said, it's alright. It's nothing new to me. The rumors are old and, quite frankly, I've heard them all before. But I'm not going to hold it over you when we rise to our respective positions of power. Goodnight, Miss Galinda."

Before the blonde could say more, Elphaba had already climbed into bed and fell asleep. "Fresh dreams," she whispered, staring at her roommate's sleeping form.


	4. Munchkinland Surprises

**So sorry for the late (again) update, everyone!**

 **Guest: Thank you for telling me. I went back and corrected that.**

 **This is the chapter where everything goes uphill. And by uphill, I mean… well, I'll let you all read it.**

* * *

Elphaba waited in the lobby the next morning for the carriage to come and take her back to Munchkinland. She had avoided speaking to her roommate, though their gazes met once or twice that morning in their room.

"Have a safe trip back to Munchkinland, Miss Elphaba," Galinda said as walked past the green girl to her waiting carriage.

"Thank you, Miss Galinda. Have a safe trip back to the Gillikin." Just because she didn't want to be friends with the blonde, didn't mean she had to be uncivil to her.

Elphaba spotted her father's carriage and hurried towards it as fast as she could without seeming unladylike. The driver took her luggage and helped her inside. A few seconds later, he climbed back in and, with a flick of the reins, the carriage took off back to Munchkinland.

Elphaba occupied her time with reading and occasionally looking out the window. The passing scenery did little to hold her attention for more than a few seconds at a time, so she settled for just reading. At some point during her journey, she had managed to fall asleep and was awakened by the sudden stop of the carriage. Rubbing her eyes, she looked out the window and saw the Governor's Mansion looming over her. Sighing, she waited for the driver to open the door and help her out.

Grabbing her suitcase, she ascended the stairs leading to the large front door. Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell.

She wasn't surprised when a maid came to answer it instead of her father. He had never been there for her when she really needed him, and now wasn't any different.

"Did you have a nice trip, Miss Elphaba?" the maid asked, moving to take Elphaba's suitcase for her.

"It was fine, thank you. And I'll keep this. I have something in it for Nessa," Elphaba said, clutching the luggage closer.

The maid nodded and disappeared down the hallway. Elphaba watched her go and walked into the parlor, where she knew her sister would be. "Hi, Nessie."

Nessa looked up from her book and smiled. "Fabala! You're back!" Giggling, she happily wheeled up to her sister. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too, Nessie," Elphaba smiled, kneeling down returning the hug.

The younger brunette slowly pulled away to get a better look at her sister. "Did you have a nice time?"

Elphaba forced a smile, though she knew it looked real to Nessa. "I did, Nessie."

Nessa beamed, clearly unaware that her sister was lying through her teeth. "I knew you would, Fabala. Aren't you glad Father talked you into going?"

Elphaba suppressed a sigh. Nessa was spoilt rotten. In her mind, everything was perfect. The world revolved around her. She was very content with her life, despite being in a wheelchair. She got whatever she asked for and was their father's pride and joy. She was so innocent, so pure, and Elphaba planned on keeping it that way.

"You were right, of course. Oh, and I have a present for you," Elphaba smiled, reaching down and handing her sister an emerald gift bag.

Nessa squealed and happily took the bag. Giggling, she reached inside and pulled out the emerald scarf. "Oh, Fabala! It's beautiful! Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Elphaba smiled, helping her sister wrap it lightly around her neck. She pushed her sister to the mirror and watched as the brunette admired her reflection.

Nessa looked up and noticed how tired her sister looked. "You look tired, Fabala."

"I feel fine," Elphaba tried to reassure her sister.

"You can tell me all about the tea later. You should rest."

Elphaba smiled down at her sister. "Alright, Nessa." She lovingly patted her sister's arm before leaving the parlor and quickly making her way to her room. She opened her door and collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. She didn't know how long she had been laying there, but the next thing she knew, a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Come in," she called, sitting up.

The door opened, revealing Frex. Elphaba instantly frowned. The last person she wanted to see at the moment was her father.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Frex asked, entering the room.

"I never enjoy myself."

Frex suppressed a sigh as he sat down on the bed. "Was the city to your liking?"

"Even if it wasn't, I'm sure the Wizard himself wouldn't change an entire city just for me. I had no desire to even go."

"Were you warm enough?"

Elphaba sighed, wishing her father would stop pretending to care about her. "Yes, I was warm enough."

Frex was silent for a moment before he finally spoke again. "You know, your mother was a debutante."

That caught Elphaba's attention and she looked up. "What?"

Frex nodded. "That's actually how we met. We weren't engaged at the time. At least, we didn't know we were engaged."

Elphaba froze, something clicking in her mind. "So, you're telling me that I'm engaged and I didn't even know about it _and_ I'm going to meet him at the Wizard's ball?"

"Elphaba, I didn't say that," Frex said, trying to calm her down.

Elphaba knew better. Every time her father mentioned her mother, he was trying to tell her something, and she knew exactly what that 'something' was. "Am I or am I not engaged?" she shouted, rising from the bed, furious.

Frex narrowed his eyes, not appreciating Elphaba's tone. His face slowly softened and he sighed, slowly nodding his head. He didn't want Elphaba to find out. At least, not like this, and certainly not this early. "Yes," he whispered.

For a moment, Elphaba was still. The information sunk in and she stumbled back. "To who?"

"Avaric Tenmeadows, the Margreave's son."

Elphaba blinked. She had never heard of Avaric. She didn't know anything about him, she just knew that she already didn't like him.

"How… how long have we been… _betrothed_?" Elphaba asked, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

"It was an old agreement between our families. Avaric was a few months old and your mother was eight months pregnant with you. Once you were born, the agreement was signed that you two would be married once you graduate college."

"And I have no say in this? I don't love him, nor do I think I ever will. What if we hate each other? What if…?"

"Elphaba, stop! Everything will be fine. He will be a fine husband. He will help you govern the province. He will make you happy."

"What would you know about making me happy? I've never been happy a day in my life! You have never cared about my happiness!"

"Elphaba! Watch your tone!"

"I have never made my own decision before and now, I can't even decide whom to marry!"

Frex saw how angry his daughter was and calmed down. "Elphaba, I'm sorry, but there's nothing to be done now."

Clenching her fist, Elphaba turned her back to her father and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're not sorry! Just… go away!"

"Elphaba…"

"Go away!" Elphaba shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"Elphaba, you're behaving like a child."

"Well, maybe I should, since my childhood was taken away from me!"

A strong wind whipped through the room and the window on the far side of the room cracked and shattered into a million little pieces. Frex jumped back and stared at the broken glass, then back at his daughter. Elphaba had collapsed onto her bed and was currently loosing a fight with the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Frex paused. He had never seen his daughter display so much emotion at once before. He blinked, unsure of what to do. A tingling feeling in his heart made him want to comfort her. Awkwardly, he reached out his hand and gently rested it on her shoulder.

Grunting, Elphaba jerked away and buried her face in her pillow again. "Go away!" came her soft voice, muffled by her sobs and the pillow.

Frex sighed and left the room, but not without stopping in the doorway and casting on final glance at the sobbing green girl. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out and he left, closing the door behind him.

Elphaba managed to calm herself down. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and went to the bathroom to wash her face. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to see her with a tear-stained face.

When she came out of the bathroom, she heard Nessa wheeling down the hall and she stopped.

"Fabala!"

Pushing her problems aside and forcing a smile, Elphaba turned around to greet her sister. "Hi."

Nessa stopped in front of Elphaba and frowned slightly. "Fabala, are you alright?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

Nessa looked up and at her sister's face and tilted her head to the side. She blinked twice and quickly abandoned her thoughts. If Elphaba said that she was fine, she was fine. She would never lie to her. "Well, Boq's taking me to a movie this evening. Father's arranged for a carriage to take us into town. Will you… help me get ready?"

Elphaba let out a small laughed and squeezed her sister's hand. "Of course, Nessie." Smiling, she pushed her sister down the hall to her bedroom. She helped her into a pretty, pink dress and pushed her in front of the mirror to brush her hair.

Elphaba brushed Nessa's light brown hair as her sister prattled on about the Munchkin boy she had a crush on. She talked about 'Boq this' and 'Boq that' and 'Oh, Fabala, Boq is the most amazing boy in Munchkinland!'. The green girl hummed in agreement as she only half-listened to her sister. She knew she shouldn't envy her. After all, the poor girl was confined to a wheelchair. But she was spoilt. She could choose who she wanted to be friends with and, ultimately, who to marry. She was the pearl of Munchkinland. Everyone loved her.

"All finished," Elphaba said, quickly stopping her sister from speaking more about Boq by placing a sparkly, pink headband in her hair.

Nessa looked at her reflection in the mirror and giggled. "Thank you, Fabala."

Elphaba smiled and placed a gentle kiss in her sister's hair. "You look beautiful."

A knock and the door opened, revealing Frex. "Nessa, Boq is waiting in the foyer."

Nessa nervously smoothed out the skirt of her dress and nodded. Elphaba pushed Nessa out of the room, refusing to meet her father's gaze.

Boq was waiting in the foyer, just as Frex had said. He was short, but average height for a Munchkin. He wore a casual blue suit with matching blue pants. A little red beanie was perched perfectly on his head.

After 'goodbyes' and 'have funs' were exchanged, Boq pushed Nessa's chair out the door and down the ramp.

As soon as they were gone, Elphaba ran back to her room, ignoring her father's calls for her to stop. She slammed the door behind her, taking deep breaths. How dare her father arrange for her to be married before she was even born! She had no control over her own life, and now she had prof that it had started before her parents even knew her gender. She made her way over to her bed and sat down. She wasn't going to cry. She had cried all her tears. She was just going to have to suck it up and deal with it, like she had dealt with other things in her life. She was drawn from her private thoughts as someone knocked on the door. "Go away!" she shouted, knowing it was her father.

The door opened anyway, revealing the last person she wanted to see. She looked up, noticing her father carrying in a bowl of chocolate ice cream, her favorite.

"I don't want ice cream," Elphaba said, turning away. "Then again, you never cared about what I wanted."

"Elphaba, I understand how you're feeling about this," Frex said gently.

Elphaba froze. She had never heard her father speak so gently to her. "Yes?" she asked skeptically, waiting for him to continue.

"Don't forget, I didn't make this decision alone. Your mother was also a part of it. She knew the Margreave's family for a long time. They're a very good family who has raised a well-breed son."

"This deal was apparently also made before you became aware that I was green."

"This marriage will be good for you, and for our people."

"Yes, because it's every girls' dream to marry someone out of a business contract."

Knowing this conversation would only end with more tension, Frex simply placed the bowl of ice cream on Elphaba's desk and left.


	5. Etiquette

"Welcome back, ladies. I trust you all had a wonderful week," Miss Greyling smiled.

The girls all nodded, huge smiles on their faces. Elphaba sat quietly, her gaze fixed on her lap.

"Now, we will have our etiquette lesson, and right after that, the girls who didn't get to rehearse their speeches in front of everyone will have their turn. Now, I have a brief quiz for you young ladies to take just to see how much you already know about proper etiquette."

Miss Greyling handed out the quizzes and pencils. Elphaba took a look at the quiz before beginning to fill it out. Her father had made sure to teach her all about etiquette. She would need it for the many dinner parties she would have to host as Governor.

After giving the girls a few minutes to complete the quiz, Miss Greyling went over the answers. Elphaba only got two wrong and felt a small tinge of pride. Maybe she was better than she thought.

"Now, when attending a formal dinner, this is how the utensils are set out," Miss Greyling said, gesturing to the table setting in front of her. "The salad fork is on the outer left-hand side, followed by the dinner fork in the middle, and the desert fork closest to the plate. On the right-hand side, the soup spoon is on the outside, the teaspoon in the middle and the dinner knife on the inside. During dinner, you work your towards the plate. I trust you ladies are already familiar with this."

The girls nodded.

"Excellent. Now, we will now move to the other part of the ballroom and have a sit-down lunch to practice our table etiquette."

The girls all followed Miss Greyling into the different part of the ballroom. Elphaba sat down and looked up, surprised to see a certain blonde choosing to sit next to her.

"Hi," Galinda whispered, somewhat awkwardly.

"Hello," Elphaba replied, trying to keep the curtness out of her voice.

The lunch progressed slowly for Elphaba while she tried to dodge conversations with the other girls, but not without being impolite. Once they were done, Miss Greyling announced that the other girls who didn't get to recite their speeches were to do so.

"Miss Elphaba, would you like to go first?" Miss Greyling asked, smiling at the green girl.

Elphaba swallowed the lump forming in her throat and nodded, standing up with her speech.

"Oh, and I found a lady-in-waiting for you. Her name is Mayla Cooin. She should be here any moment. You can add her to your speech," Miss Greyling whispered so only Elphaba could hear her.

The green girl nodded and stepped up to the podium. "We can leave life for tomorrow, or grieve all that we thought we'd do, or make each moment new. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and distinguished panel of judges. My name is Elphaba Melena Thropp. I am the proud daughter of Frexspar Thropp, the Governor of Munchkinland. I enjoy activities such as reading, writing, attending theatre productions and playing the piano. My future aspirations are to attend Shiz University and someday, take over the Governorship of Munchkinland from my father. Thank you."

The other girls politely clapped for Elphaba as she stepped down and returned to her seat.

"You want to attend Shiz University?" Galinda asked as Elphaba sat down.

Elphaba nodded silently, staring straight ahead.

"I… was thinking about going, too. You know… to Shiz."

Elphaba nodded again, clearly not interested in having a conversation with the blonde girl.

Galinda sighed, knowing that trying to converse with the green girl would be fruitless.

After the other girls delivered their speeches, they were dismissed for the day.

"Miss Elphaba!"

Elphaba turned around to see Miss Greyling approaching her with a young woman behind her. She looked about thirty years old, with dirty blonde hair that stopped just below her shoulder and soft, blue eyes. She was tall, a bit taller than Elphaba.

"Miss Elphaba, this is Mayla. She will be lady-in-waiting," Miss Greyling said, stepping aside slightly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Elphaba," Mayla smiled.

Elphaba noticed that Mayla had a heavy Vinkun accent, something only people who lived in the Western Vinkus possessed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too."

Miss Greyling smiled and left the two young women alone.

"So, Elphaba, I was thinking we could go and try on dresses for the ball," Mayla smiled.

"Isn't it a bit early?" Elphaba asked.

Mayla laughed. "Yes, but we must get your hoop skirt and they'll have to make alterations for the dress. Doing it now would be the best option. An appointment has already been set up for us to go try on dresses."

Elphaba bit her lip. She had planned on going to the library again, but she figured this was more important at the moment. She merely nodded and followed Mayla out the door.

"So, Elphaba, tell me about yourself," Mayla said as they walked down the streets of the Emerald City.

"I'm the Governor of Munchkinland's eldest, green daughter," Elphaba said simply.

Mayla gave the younger girl a gentle nudge. "That's not what I meant. I meant tell me about yourself. What you like to do, what your favorite color is, just… about you."

"Well, I like dark purple. It's one of the only colors that I don't clash with," Elphaba said.

Mayla gave her a gentle smile, silently urging her to continue.

"I also like reading. I like to read mostly anything, except if it's an old Munchkinland history of politics book that my father shoved into my hands."

Before she knew it, Elphaba was in a deep conversation with her new lady-in-waiting, which was mostly a rant about how forceful her father was when it came to her future as Governor.

"And then he tells me that I've been betrothed to someone before I was even born. I don't even know him!"

"Who is he?" Mayla asked gently.

"Avaric Tenmeadows, the Margreave's son."

"I've seen him a few times. He seems like a very nice boy."

Elphaba shrugged. "He probably is… in the public eye."

Mayla was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. "We're here," she announced, stopping in front of the dress boutique.

Elphaba looked up and tried her best not to grimace. In the window was an assortment of multicolored, puffy dresses. Puffy dresses were on her list of the top ten things she hated the most.

"Come on," Mayla smiled, gently slipping her hand into Elphaba's and ushering her inside. "We have an appointment for Miss Elphaba Thropp," she said to the lady at the front desk.

The lady nodded and scribbled something onto her pad. One of the young ladies who worked there approached them and said that their changing room was ready. She took Elphaba's measurements and went to go get her a corset, hoop skirt and a few dresses to try on.

"Try to have fun, Elphaba," Mayla said, noticing the frown on the green girl's face. "This is supposed to be fun."

"My father promised to send me to Shiz if I did this," Elphaba said, rubbing her upper arm.

Before Mayla could say more, the associate came back with Elphaba's corset, hoop skirt and a few dresses for her to try on. After helping Elphaba into her corset, she helped her into the first dress.

"You look beautiful, Elphaba," Mayla smiled as Elphaba emerged. The dress was a strapless, white ball gown with a sweetheart neckline. The hoop skirt made the skirt of the dress puff out even more than it already was, making Elphaba feel a bit off balance.

The green girl turned and looked at herself in the mirror. "It's… alright."

"Will it be one of your top three?" Mayla asked.

Elphaba sighed and nodded. "Yes."

The associate ushered Elphaba back into the changing room and helped her change into another dress. When she walked out, Mayla had a huge smile on her face, but Elphaba met it with a frown.

"No," she said, seeing a skirt of ruffles. "Absolutely not."

Mayla laughed. "I'm guessing we're not adding this dress to the list?"

"No," Elphaba frowned as she shuffled back into the changing room.

A few minutes later, Elphaba emerged for a third time, Mayla gasped. "Oh, Elphaba. You look so beautiful."

Elphaba looked at herself in the mirror. The dress had thick, lacy, see-through straps. The skirt of the dress puffed out slightly, and not just because of the hoop skirt. A thin layer of silk was over the skirt, making it appear even glossier. The bodice of the dress was narrow, clinging to Elphaba's corset.

"Does it feel tight anywhere?" the assistant asked.

"Yes," Elphaba admitted softly, her hand fisting around the dress material, trying to gently pull it away from her body so she could breath better.

"We can make alterations to the dress," the assistant smiled at Mayla.

Mayla nodded and turned back to Elphaba. "Do you like it, Elphaba?"

Elphaba looked at herself once more. The dress itself was very nice, she admitted. "It's… okay."

"Is this the dress you would like to wear?"

The green girl bit her lip. She hated puffy dresses, especially _white_ , puffy dresses. She sighed, knowing she didn't have a choice. "Yes."

Mayla didn't look convinced, but knew enough about the green girl to know that she wasn't this out of her own free will. "Very well. We'll take this one."

The assistant nodded and ushered Elphaba back into the changing room and helped her out of the dress and back into her regular clothes. Elphaba hurried out, her gaze on the floor.

"Thank you," Mayla said as she filled out the order paper and gave it to Elphaba. "Make sure you give this to your father to pay for the dress."

Elphaba nodded wordlessly as she took the paper and neatly folded it before shoving it in her pocket. Mayla sighed softly and, wrapping an arm around the green girl's waist, escorted her out of the store.

"How about we go get some lunch?" Mayla asked, softly rubbing Elphaba's arm.

Elphaba nodded, still refusing to speak. The older woman escorted her to a café a few blocks down from the hotel and they sat in relative silence.

"Elphaba, do you really like the dress?" Mayla asked after they had ordered their food.

Elphaba shrugged. "I guess."

"I know this isn't what you want to do. But it's fun. Trust me. Believe it or not, I was just like you."

Elphaba looked up. "You were?"

Mayla nodded. "My family is one of the riches families in the Vinkus. I was also forced to be a debutante by my parents, and at first, I hated it, but as it progressed, I began to enjoy myself and had a wonderful time. And you will, too."

Elphaba smiled softly and nodded. "Maybe."

Their food came and they ate in relative silence. Once Mayla had taken care of the bill, she and Elphaba walked out of the café together, Mayla's arm wrapped around Elphaba's shoulders. She was determined to help Elphaba have a good time, no matter what it took.

* * *

 **Elphaba's dress is on my blog. It's also the cover photo of this story.**


	6. Waltzing Through Life

**Doglover645: Mayla is Fiyero's** ** _BROTHER!?_** **Um… no.**

 **LifelongLeahstar: No, Mayla and Fiyero aren't related. But they do know each other. That will be explained more in the next chapter.**

 **AirHawk19: Actually, that _If/Then_ quote is what I used for my debutante speech, so I just decided to use it for Elphaba. I thought it fit her, and not just because of Idina.**

* * *

"Good afternoon, ladies," Miss Greyling said from the podium. "Today is the day you all have been looking for. Today is the day we will begin learning our bows and waltzes. And yes, learning the waltzes also means meeting the young gentlemen who will be escorting you."

The girls giggled and started talking about the boys. Elphaba sat in the corner, scowling. She didn't want to meet any boys. They would probably run away from her, screaming.

"Before the boys come, we shall rehearse our bows. Now, this is Mr. Brion, our director. He will be with you girls from now until the ball."

The girls clapped as a man stepped onto the stage. He was a well-built man with greying brown hair. His brown eyes were soft and kind, almost fatherly.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Mr. Brion said, clapping his hands together. "As Miss Greyling said, I am Mr. Brion and I will be your director. I have been conducting the Wizard's debutante ball for the past twenty-five years and I have loved every second of it. I have seen some of the girls go on and do marvelous things in society and I couldn't be prouder. Now, let's get started. We'll begin with our speeches, just so I know how far along you all are."

The girls lined up as Mr. Brion stepped down and sat at the table in front of the stage and began to recite their speeches. Mr. Brion critiqued them, but mostly gave notes, such as "Speak louder" or "More emphasis on these words" or "Great job".

"Ladies, you are coming along very well with your speeches," Mr. Brion said as he stood up from the table. "I want you to have them memorized as soon as possible. Now, this is how your bows will go. Everything is in the count of four." Mr. Brion stepped in front of the girls to demonstrate the bow. "You will be with your escort on the stage at this point in time, then I will say 'Debutante, present yourself'. That is when your escort will step off to the side and you will prepare to do your bow. First, as your right arm goes up, your right leg slides forward." After demonstrating, he gracefully swept his arm and leg to the right. "This is when you begin to go down. It must be very slow and graceful." Slowly, Mr. Brion knelt down on his right knee. Once he was down, he slid his left leg forward and lowered himself to the floor.

 _There is no way in Oz I can do this_ , Elphaba thought. _I'm not even remotely close to graceful._

"Now, you ladies will be holding roses, so you will hold out your arms as if you are presenting the roses to the audience." He demonstrated. "Then, wait a few seconds before slowly lifting your head up. That's the signal for your escorts to step forward again and help you up." He gracefully rose to his full height and smiled. "Alright, who would like to go first?"

When no one volunteered, Mr. Brion laughed softly. "Well, let's not all volunteer at once."

Still, no one volunteered. Sighing, Mr. Brion looked at his list of the girls and picked a random name. "Miss Elphaba Thropp?"

Elphaba slowly lifted her head. _Oh sweet Oz, that's me._ "Yes?"

Mr. Brion smiled. "Would you like to try the bow?"

 _No._ "Alright." The green girl stepped forward and prepared herself for her failure.

"Right arm and right leg first," Mr. Brion reminded her.

Elphaba did the motions as gracefully as she could. As she went down, she lost her balance and used her hand to catch herself.

"Very good, Miss Elphaba," Mr. Brion said, applauding. Everyone else reluctantly joined in. "Just a few pointers. Try to go slower. And you won't be able to use your hand to catch yourself, so we must work on balance. Going slower will help with that. And smile. This is a general note for everyone. Big smiles. Everyone will be watching you."

 _And that's the exact reason why I'm not smiling_ , Elphaba thought, biting her lip.

"Who is next?"

Galinda's hand shot into the air.

"Yes, Miss…"

"Galinda. Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands." The blonde giggled as she got up on the stage and did her bow almost flawlessly.

"Very good, Miss Galinda," Mr. Brion smiled, applauding. The other girls quickly joined in. "Next, please!"

Once all the girls had gone, Miss Greyling came back in. "Excuse me, Mr. Brion, but the young men have arrived."

The girls giggled and cheered, and were promptly quieted by Miss Greyling. "Now, when they come in, I expect you all to behave with decorum and orderliness." She nodded stiffly to them and turned around to escort the boys inside.

Elphaba managed to sneak away and hide in the corner, unnoticed by everyone else. She had no desire to meet any of the boys, especially her apparent fiancée.

When the boys walked in, the girls squealed, but quickly tried to calm themselves down when they saw the look Miss Greyling sent them. "You have all been pre-assigned escorts." As she read off the names, all of the girls squealed as they ran to meet the boys.

"Miss Elphaba Thropp and Master Avaric Tenmeadows," Miss Greyling called.

Avaric stepped forward, scanning the crowd of girls for Elphaba. He didn't know what she looked like, having never met her before, but if she was as beautiful as the other girls, he could learn to live with it.

"Miss Elphaba?" Miss Greyling called. She spotted the green girl trying to hide in a corner and marched over to her. "There you are!" Taking her arm, she led her back to Avaric. "Master Avaric, may I present Miss Elphaba Thropp of Munchkinland."

Avaric, who had been talking to his friend, Fiyero, turned and gasped. He could have sworn it was a trick of the light, but no, the girl was green.

"I'm sure you two will get along very nicely," Miss Greyling said as she released Elphaba's arm and left.

"You're… green," Avaric blinked, still in shock.

Elphaba's gaze was on the ground. She refused to look up at the boy. He was probably going to insult her anyway.

"Well, can't you speak?" Avaric asked when Elphaba still didn't say anything.

The green girl finally met Avaric's gaze. "Yes."

Avaric looked her up and down, as if sizing her up. Elphaba did the same. She noticed how his dark brown hair was nearly combed and how his dark brown eyes stared back at her. He wasn't frowning at her anymore, but he wasn't smiling, either. "No one said anything about a green girl. There's no way I'm doing this now," he growled.

"Well, we will be married when we're older, so you might as well get used to it now," Elphaba bit back.

The escort gasped. "W-What? M-Married? To you?"

"Yes, didn't you know?" Elphaba smirked. "We're going to be married."

Avaric blinked and wrinkled his nose, clearly disappointed. "Married to the green girl? This must be some kind of joke."

"It's no joke," Elphaba laughed dryly. "I'll be running an entire country, and I'm only marrying you to help me."

Avaric looked at her in shock, then burst into laughter. "You running a country?"

"And what, Master Avaric, is so amusing about that?" Elphaba asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You won't be running Munchkinland. You'll just be entertaining the guests."

"And why won't I run my own country?" Elphaba was getting very edgy. But what Avaric said next tipped her off the scale.

"You're a woman."

Elphaba gasped and before she knew it, she cracked Avaric hard across the face. All heads turned towards them. Elphaba stood tall as she glared at Avaric, who was nursing his freshly slapped cheek.

"Miss Elphaba, what is going on over here?" Miss Greyling asked as she came over. "Did you slap Master Avaric?"

"He deserved it," Elphaba frowned.

"Miss Elphaba, it is not proper for young ladies to slap young gentlemen. Now, apologize."

Elphaba bit her tongue, refusing to apologize to the arrogant jerk.

"Miss Elphaba," Miss Greyling said tightly.

"I'm… sorry," Elphaba said through clenched teeth.

Miss Greyling didn't look satisfied, but walked away. Elphaba sighed, knowing that her father would hear about this. But she didn't care. Avaric was a jerk and she would tell her father that she refused to marry him.

"I loathe you," the green girl growled, looking at Avaric, who was standing tall again, his cheek perfectly fine.

"That makes two of us," Avaric snarled.

"Now, young ladies and gentlemen, this is how the waltz will go. Ladies, you will step forward on your right foot. Gentlemen, you will step back on your left foot. After that, your opposite foot will follow. You will go forward and back four times. Let's just try that. Everybody, and… One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three!"

Mr. Brion snapped his fingers on the downbeat as he counted. Avaric purposefully stepped on Elphaba's feet more than one and it drove the green girl crazy.

"Knock it off!" she hissed in a low voice.

"Serves you right for slapping me," the boy replied.

"Good. Now, we shall begin the cross. Ladies, you will cross your left foot over your right foot, and gentlemen, you will cross your right foot over your left foot. You will do this four times, as well. And… begin! One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three! Excellent!" Mr. Brion clapped for the young teenagers. "Now, the final part is the walk. Ladies, you will turn to your right. Gentlemen, to your left. You will walk for four counts."

The teenagers did as instructed and rehearsed the waltz numerous times.

"Very good, everyone. That will be all for today. You're dismissed."

Elphaba tore her hand away from Avaric before running past him and out the ballroom. She couldn't take it anymore. She was going to tell her father she refused to continue it. She suddenly remembered Shiz and stopped short. She wanted to go to Shiz so badly. What was she going to do?

* * *

Galinda came into the room later that evening to find Elphaba curled in a fetal position, crying on her bed. "Miss Elphaba?" she whispered cautiously, not knowing if the green girl wanted to be comforted or not. "Are you alright?" She reached out to touch her shoulder, but the green girl pulled away. A crack and Galinda turned, just as the window shattered. "Miss Elphaba!"

Elphaba jumped up with a start, staring at the blonde though her watery eyes. Her gaze fell on the window and she gasped, horrified with herself. "Please, Miss Galinda, you cannot tell anyone!" she begged and, with a wave of her hand, fixed the window.

"I… wha… how… Galinda breathed, still shocked over what she just saw. "Wha… what just happened?"

Elphaba sat back down. "I… I was born with these… powers. I've learned to control it, but sometimes it… gets out of hand."

"I… see…"

The two roommates lapsed into an awkward silence. "Miss Elphaba," Galinda spoke softly. "You look like you could use someone to talk to."

"I do not require anyone to talk to," Elphaba said stubbornly, sitting on her bed, her back facing Galinda.

The blonde ignored her and climbed onto her bed. Elphaba stiffened, but remained silent. "I can see it in your eyes."

Finally, Elphaba looked up. "You actually want to get to know the green bean who doesn't belong here?"

Galinda leaned back, shocked and hurt. Elphaba noticed this and signed. "I apologize, Miss Galinda. I'm… I'm not very good at this type of thing."

"I've noticed."

Elphaba looked down at her lap. If the blonde wanted to open up to her, she should at least try, for fear of her father finding out that she wasn't behaving. "Well… I suppose I could give this a try," she said, giving the blonde a very small smile.

Galinda smiled back and scooted closer to Elphaba. "So, you're a Munchkin princess?"

Elphaba snorted. "I am most certainly not a princess. Far from it, actually. If anyone is a princess, it's my younger sister."

"You have a younger sister?"

Elphaba nodded. "Her name is Nessarose. And before you ask, no, she's not green."

"Oh."

"She's confined to a wheelchair."

The blonde blinked. "I'm so sorry."

Elphaba shrugged. "It's alright. She was born that way."

Galinda sensed that the conversation was dying and tried something else. "I know! Let's each tell the other something we've never told anyone. I'll go first!" Giggling, she bounced onto Elphaba's bed, startling the green girl. "Fiyero, my escort, and I… are going to be… married."

Elphaba winced as the blonde squealed loudly. "He's… he's asked you already?"

"Oh, he doesn't know yet."

Elphaba looked down, trying to hide her hurt expression.

"What's wrong?" Galinda asked, calming down.

"N-Nothing."

"No, something's wrong."

The green girl remained silent, staring at her lap. She was vaguely aware of the fact that Galinda had gently slipped her hand into hers.

"Elphie, tell me."

Elphaba finally looked up. "Elphie?"

The blonde smiled. "Yes. Elphie. It's my new nickname for you. It's alright if I call you 'Elphie', right?"

"It's a little… perky."

The blonde took that as a 'yes'. "And you can call me… Galinda. Now, Elphie, please tell me what's wrong."

Elphaba took a deep breath. "It's… my secret is that… I'm going to be married."

The blonde squealed. "Elphie, that's so Ozmazifying! To who? Are you excited? I've been planning my wedding day since I was a little girl and…" The blonde trailed off, noticing the grim expression on the green girl's face. "Elphie?"

"It's an arranged marriage. To Avaric Tenmeadows, the Margreave of Tenmeadows' son."

"You… you don't want to marry him?"

"I barely even know him. My father just told me last week. Once I graduate Shiz, we'll be married."

Galinda was silent for a moment. "Is your mother…"

"She died," Elphaba interrupted abruptly.

The blonde looked taken back. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's alright. I shouldn't have snapped like that. It happened a long time ago."

"If… If you don't mind my asking… how did she die?"

Galinda wondered if the green girl would even answer her. Her mother seemed like a very touchy subject to talk about.

"She died… giving birth to Nessa… when I was two."

The blonde was silent as she watched her roommate's eyes fill with tears. Slowly, she crept over to her and wrapped her arms around her slender, green body.

"It's my fault," she heard Elphaba whisper, but wasn't sure she heard correctly.

"What is?" the blonde asked gently.

Elphaba pulled away and wiped her eyes. "That my sister was born… handicapped. When my mother was carrying Nessa, my father made her chew milk flowers so the baby wouldn't be born like… me. Only, it made Nessa come too soon, with her little legs all tangled, and our mother… never woke up."

"Oh… Elphie."

"That's the reason our father loves her more. He spoils her because she's closer to the vision he had for our family, minus her wheelchair and my… verdigris."

"And… you're still going to be the Governor?"

Elphaba nodded, somewhat sadly. "Being the Governor… it's very stressful. It's a lot of responsibility and my father doesn't want to burden Nessa like that. And neither do I. I love her. I'm practically devoted to her. Plus, the Munchkinland parliament won't accept her as the ruler since she's not the firstborn."

"You can't step down?"

Elphaba shook her head. "If I did, it would fall to Nessa, and she wouldn't be prepared to take on the Governorship. She knows nothing about our government, politics or anything else. I can't do that to her."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. It's just the way it is." Sighing, Elphaba got under the covers. "Goodnight, Galinda."

"Night," Galinda said, half-distracted as she got herself ready for bed.

* * *

 **We meet Fiyero (** ** _FINALLY_** **, I know) in the next chapter! Reviews are super awesome!**


	7. Run-Throughs

**Wow! Sorry for this super late update! Blame procrastination and summer break laziness. But here we are!**

* * *

"How is everything going?"

Elphaba looked up from her book as her father entered the parlor. "Fine."

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Not especially."

"Are you behaving yourself?"

Elphaba sighed and ignored her father, returning to her book.

"Elphaba."

"Yes?"

Frex sighed. His daughter was pushing his buttons, and she knew it. "Do you like Avaric?"

"I think I can recall wanting to turn him into a toad."

"Elphaba!"

"What?"

The Governor sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "Please tell me you didn't."

"Of course I didn't. I _wanted_ to, but I didn't."

"Would you like some tea?"

"No."

Frex bit his lip, sighed and walked out of the room. Elphaba marked her page in her book and got up, but froze when she heard the wheels of her sister's chair coming from down the hall.

"Fabala!"

Elphaba forced a smile when she saw Nessa coming into the room and sat back down. "Hi, Nessie."

"Oh, Fabala, aren't you excited about the ball?" the younger Thropp giggled as she quickly wheeled into the room.

Elphaba forced a smile. "Very."

The brunette, buying Elphaba's fake smile, giggled. "You'll have fun. I know you will."

"I know," Elphaba muttered, beginning to go back to her book.

"Oh, Fabala, why don't we go outside? It's getting warmer out," Nessa pleaded, eager to not lose her sister to a book.

Elphaba looked up and a smile played on the ends of her lips. "Okay."

The brunette giggled as Elphaba stood up and pushed her chair out into the gardens.

"I had the servants bring tea out here," Nessa said as her sister pushed her up to a table with a tea setting.

Elphaba smiled as she sat across from her sister and poured their tea. "How are you, Nessie?" she asked as she passed the cup to her sister.

"I'm fine, Fabala. Why do you ask?"

"You're my little sister. It's my job to ask."

Nessa smiled softly. "I know. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The two sisters continued to enjoy their dinner in the garden together until Frex came out looking for them and announced it was time to wash up for dinner. The two girls obediently followed their father back into the house, though Elphaba dragged her feet slightly.

* * *

"Hi."

Elphaba looked up from where she was reading her book in the hotel lobby. A young boy about her age stood over her. His dark brown bangs fell over his eyes and he shyly wiped them away. "Hi."

"You're Elphaba Thropp, right?"

 _I wonder what gave that away. Maybe it was the green._ "Yes."

The boy smiled softly. "I'm Fiyero Tigulaar."

Elphaba looked the boy up and down. "The prince of the Vinkus?"

"Yeah," the boy smiled cheekily. "That one. Anyway, I… I saw you sitting over here by yourself."

"I usually do that."

Fiyero bit his lip. "What… what I meant was… would you like to sit with us?"

"Us? Who is us?"

"Well… Galinda, Milla, ShenShen, Pfannee, Avaric…"

Elphaba froze. "You're friends with Avaric?"

The prince nodded slowly. "Yes. What…"

"Thank you for the offer," Elphaba said as she abruptly rose to her feet. "But I'm perfectly fine by myself."

"Come, dearies. Mr. Brion is waiting for you all inside the ballroom," Miss Greyling said as she clapped her hands, grabbing everyone's attention.

Elphaba tried her best not to sulk, but didn't look like she actually wanted to go into the ballroom.

"Welcome back, young ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Brion said once everyone was in the ballroom. "Today is the day we start run-throughs for the ball, which is fast approaching."

The girls giggled and chattered excitedly, until Mr. Brion clapped for their attention. "Now, first, ladies will line up for the speeches, which will start the ball. You will line up in alphabetical order. Please line up when I call your names. Your ladies-in-waiting are already inside. Gentlemen, you can sit down for now until I call for you."

Once the girls lined up, Elphaba realized that she was right in front of Galinda, but didn't think anything of it.

"Now, once the music starts playing, Miss Lydian will lead everyone into the ballroom and up onto the stage," Mr. Brion said, gesturing to the first girl in line. "You will all be wearing your business suits for this part of the ball, and will change into your dresses once everyone has presented. Any questions so far?"

When no one had any questions, Mr. Brion continued. "Now, when you all walk in, your heads are up, smiles are on, and hands are neatly in front of you. Let's try that."

The girls practiced walking in, large smiles on their faces. Elphaba did a half smile. Mr. Brion looked at her, but didn't say anything. Lydian walked up the three small steps leading to the stage and turned to her left before walking to the edge. When all the girls were on the stage, Mr. Brion motioned for them to turn towards the center.

"Wonderful job, ladies," Mr. Brion smiled. "Now, once you are all up here and positioned, the music will stop, I'll say a few words, then we will begin the speeches, starting with Debutante Number One."

Lydian stepped to the center of the stage, where Mr. Brion said there would be a microphone, and did her speech.

"Very good, Miss Lydian," the director smiled as everyone applauded.

Milla was next, then ShenShen, then Pfannee, then Alyenna. Elphaba tuned out as the other girls did their speeches. She could care less about who they are, who their parents are, and what they liked to do.

"Miss Elphaba, you're next," Mr. Brion said, snapping Elphaba out of her daydream.

Elphaba stepped forward and, taking a deep breath, recited her speech.

"Very good, Miss Elphaba," Mr. Brion said as Elphaba walked back to her place. "Just give me more feeling. Emphasize important words."

Elphaba nodded, only half-listening, as Galinda stepped forward to give her speech. All she wanted to do was go home. She looked out into the audience and met Mayla's eyes. Her lady-in-waiting smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up. Elphaba smiled a small smile.

"Alright, ladies. You're speeches were very good. I wasn't 'wowed' today, but I'm sure that will change the day of the ball," Mr. Brion said. "Once the last person, in this case, Miss Katye, has gone, then the music will start playing again and Miss Lydian will lead everyone off the stage and out the ballroom doors. At that moment, your ladies-in-waiting will be waiting for you to help you get into your dresses. Any questions?"

Again, no one had questioned, so Mr. Brion motioned for Lydian to lead everyone offstage. They all immediately went over to their ladies-in-waiting, who had been setting up snacks for them.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Mayla asked as she handed Elphaba a cookie.

"I guess," Elphaba muttered.

"Don't worry. Once it sinks in that this is really happening, you'll feel more excited."

Elphaba doubted that, but nodded anyway and finished off her cookie. After their little break, Mr. Brion called the girls together to practice for the rest of the ceremony.

"Alright, now, the double doors will be closed at this point," Mr. Brion explained. "Then, when I say your name, the doors will open and you will come in and step up to this blue line. Then I will announce your male presenter and your lady-in-waiting. Once they have come to your sides, one of the flower girls," he gestured to a group of five young girls, who all looked about twelve or thirteen years old, sitting at a table together, "will bring you your roses. They will place them in your arms. Then they will curtsy to you and you will curtsy back. Then you will begin your walk around the room." He pointed out the four points they had to hit. "Make sure the bow to the judges is a bit deeper than the other three tables, since they will be judging you. Then you will come to the center of the floor and I will announce your escort, who will step up and replace your male presenter. Then you lady in waiting will give you a hug, kiss or whatever you prefer and leave the floor. You will then repeat the walk with your escort. Then you will go back up onto the stage again to do your bow."

The girls did the first part of the walk-through with just their ladies-in-waiting. While Elphaba was walking around the ballroom with Avaric, fighting a scowl and resisting the urge to step on his feet, she couldn't help but notice Fiyero looking at her. He smiled softly at her, and the green girl quickly redirected her gaze and climbed up the stairs with Avaric. She stumbled a bit while doing her bow and heard some of the girls snicker, but neither Miss Greyling, Mr. Brion, nor Avaric said anything about it.

"You were great today, Elphaba," Mayla said as she took Elphaba out for some ice cream.

"Thanks."

"And Fiyero Tigulaar seemed to notice, too."

Elphaba stopped and Mayla chuckled. "What?"

"He does. I think he likes you. Can I tell you a secret?"

Elphaba looked up and nodded.

"Well, it's not really a big secret. But Fiyero's my younger cousin."

Elphaba blinked. "Really?"

Mayla nodded.

"So, you're royalty?"

The older girl laughed softly and shook her head. "Well, not really. He's my cousin by marriage. One of my cousins married one of his cousins. But our families are close. I used to babysit him when he was little, so I know him really well. And I know that when he gets that look, something, or someone, has caught his attention."

Elphaba shifted slightly. "Oh."

"You should talk to him. He's really sweet. A bit brainless at times, but really sweet. I think you two would get along nicely."

"Maybe," Elphaba shrugged.

Mayla sighed, wondering how she would reach through the green girl's walls. "I'll formally introduce you two," she decided, leaving no room for Elphaba to argue.

Elphaba didn't make any move or sound of acknowledgement as she took the cherry from her sundae and ate it.

* * *

 **Happy Fourth of July to my fellow American readers!**

 **Building Fiyeraba in the next chapter. Reviews are super Ozsome!**


	8. In The Beginning

**Doglover645: When you first guessed, you said that** ** _Mayla_** **was Fiyero's** ** _brother_** **. That's what made me go, "Um… no."**

* * *

Mayla smiled as she walked into the hotel with Elphaba. The ball was drawing closer and she was more excited than the green girl… and she knew it.

"Fiyero, there you are," the older girl smiled, walking up to her cousin and smiling.

Fiyero turned around just as Mayla pulled him into a hug and playfully ruffled his hair. "Mayla, stop!" he chuckled.

"Why? And miss the chance to embarrass you. I wouldn't dream of it."

Pouting, the prince pushed his cousin away and noticed Elphaba. "Hi."

The green girl looked up. "Hi," she whispered before looking back down.

Mayla smiled softly and gently wrapped an arm around the green girl. "Fiyero, I assume you've met Elphaba?"

"Yes, we have," the prince clarified.

Mayla nodded and looked at Elphaba, whose gaze was still on the ground. "So, I'll just leave you two to get to know each other.''

Elphaba opened her mouth to protest, but when she looked up, Mayla was already gone. She looked back at Fiyero, who was giving her a goofy smile. She frowned a bit.

"So…" Fiyero began awkwardly. "Um… do you want to sit down?"

Elphaba bit her lip, but slowly found herself nodding and walking with Fiyero to one of the benches in the foyer.

"Tell me about yourself."

Elphaba looked a bit caught off guard. No one had ever asked her to talk about herself before. No one had ever cared. Taking a deep breath, she tried her best.

"Well, you know my name and who I am. I like to read, and I mostly spend my time by myself."

"You don't have many friends?"

Elphaba gave him a look.

"I didn't mean it like that," Fiyero quickly defended himself.

"I know," Elphaba said softly. "But no, I don't. I don't really like to be around a lot of people."

The two continued to talk, Elphaba talking mostly about her passion for books and learning about history, while Fiyero spoke about his favorite sports and what he liked to do during his summers.

"You'll make a great governor, Elphaba," the prince smiled.

"Yes, because if the Munchkinland Parliament does something stupid, the people can blame me."

"Why do you think that?"

The green girl sighed. "My father doesn't want me to be the governor. Neither does the Parliament, so they're willing to do everything it takes to make sure the people hate me."

The prince simply stared at the green girl. She was very different than the other girls he had met in the program. But something about Elphaba intrigued him. Maybe it was her green skin, or that she was actually passionate about something worthwhile, or they way she laughed softly when he said something that was border-line funny. Whatever it was, he was even more determined to figure her out more.

* * *

As the weeks wore on, Fiyero and Elphaba found themselves growing closer together. The prince would often meet her in the lobby as soon as rehearsals were over and they would walk around the city, along with Galinda and Mayla. The lady-in-waiting looked extremely proud of herself for introducing Elphaba to her little cousin, for she could see that she was beginning to open up, not just to her and Fiyero, but to Galinda as well. She and the blonde were becoming the best of friends, and nothing made Mayla happier than to see Elphaba happy.

A week before the ball, Elphaba and Fiyero found themselves sitting in the lobby together, waiting for their carriages to pick them up. Elphaba was reading a book, and the prince was half-reading it over her shoulder.

"Elphaba?"

"Hmm?"

"I… really like you."

Elphaba looked up. "I like you, too, Fiyero. Isn't that why we're friends?"

The prince paused and Elphaba noticed the look in his eyes. Her own eyes widened when she realized that Fiyero liked her in more than a "friendship" way. "Oh…"

"Do you… like me?" the prince asked shyly.

Elphaba swallowed before answering. "I really like you, Yero, but you must understand that we could never be together."

Fiyero pouted a bit. "Why not?"

The green girl gave the prince a sad smile. "I'm next in line for the Governorship of Munchkinland, remember? I'm going to Shiz University to study politics in two years. After I graduate, I'll marry Avaric, my father will step down, and I'll become the new Governor."

"You told me you had a younger sister, right?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Why can't she become the governor?"

"Nessa isn't prepared to lead a country. I've been preparing since the day I was born. Literally, my baby blanket had a map of Munchkinland on it."

The prince blinked dumbly. His baby blanket didn't have a map of the Vinkus on it. "That's…"

"It's weird, I know," Elphaba sighed. "But that's the way it is."

"You… you really love you're sister, don't you."

Elphaba smiled softly. "Of course, I do. She's my little sister. But…"

"But?"

Elphaba met the prince's gaze. "I sometimes feel like I do all the work, and my sister reaps all the rewards."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I do everything my father tells me to do; I dress up for the dinners he hosts, I attend his meetings, I do well in school, but all he notices is Nessa. He loves her more, and he doesn't do a very good job hiding it. He showers her with gifts, compliments, and gives her everything she wants, all while hardly paying attention to me."

"I'm sorry," was all that Fiyero could come up with.

The green girl sighed. "It's alright. It's not your fault."

The two lapsed into a silence, in which Fiyero used to try to think of a way to change the subject. "Are you excited?"

"For what?"

The prince rolled his eyes. "The ball."

"Oh. No, not especially. I just want to get this over with."

"I thought you were enjoying yourself."

"I… I guess I am… a little. But I'm not a big fan of the big, poofy dress I have to wear."

The prince chuckled. "I'm sure you'll look beautiful."

Elphaba tried to fight the blush she felt coming, but lost. "Thanks."

Fiyero smiled and stood up, holding out his hand to Elphaba. "Can you help me with something?"

The green girl looked up. "What?"

"The waltz."

"The waltz? The waltz is easy."

"Well, you may think it is, but that doesn't mean everyone else does."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but put her book aside and rose to her feet. She placed one hand on Fiyero's shoulder and reached for his hand. When her fingers brushed against his, she felt a bit of a spark shoot through her body. She pulled away slightly, and looked up at Fiyero. The look he gave her told her that he felt it, too. Pushing the feeling away, she reached for his hand again, trying to keep her face expressionless.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three," she counted as she and Fiyero danced, unable to stop from staring into the other's eyes.

"Thanks," Fiyero said when they finished and gently pulled away.

"You're welcome," Elphaba whispered, hurrying back to the bench. She looked up and saw her carriage waiting for her. "I… I have to go."

"Okay," Fiyero nodded and moved to help Elphaba with her suitcase.

"I… I can carry it," she said, quickly grabbing it.

The prince looked a bit surprised, but allowed Elphaba to get her own suitcase and watched as she hurried towards the door.

"Elphaba!"

The green girl turned around. "Yes?"

He flashed her a charming smile. "I'll see you next week… for the ball."

Elphaba didn't even bother to try and fight her blush. "Yeah… I see you next week, Fiyero."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Elphaba's heart fluttered as Fiyero waved goodbye to her and she quickly turned and hurried outside to her carriage. On the ride back, she kept telling herself that what she felt for Fiyero would pass, that she wasn't falling for him, that they were just friends. After this, she would probably never see him again anyway, so she didn't see the point in entertaining her feelings for him.

* * *

 **So, we finally have the awkward beginning of Fiyeraba. What did we think? Reviews are super Ozsome!**


	9. The Night Before

**StamiSprite (Guest): Thank you so much and I'm glad you're enjoying the story! And I didn't plan on making a Season Two of 'Nia's Q & A with the Wicked Characters'. I just have so many other stories I want to write.**

* * *

"Oh, Fabala, the ball is tomorrow!"

Elphaba looked up at her sister's excited face. "Yes, it is."

"Aren't you excited?"

Elphaba smiled. "Of course, Nessie."

The younger Thropp smiled. "You'll look so beautiful."

Elphaba inwardly sighed. She loved her sister to death, and wanted her to keep her childhood innocence as long as possible, but sometimes, she wished Nessa wasn't so oblivious to what was really going on. "Are you ready for bed?"

Nessa yawned and nodded. "We… well, _you_ have a big day tomorrow."

Elphaba got up and pushed her sister into the bathroom and helped her prepare for bed. Once the younger Thropp was bathed and tucked in, Elphaba put on her pajamas and climbed into bed with a book.

"Come in," she said when she heard someone knock on the door.

The door opened and Frex walked in. "Elphaba."

The green girl looked up. "Father."

"You should get some rest. We have to go to the Emerald City tomorrow."

"I know."

The Governor made to take a step closer to his daughter, but stopped. "Are you… excited for this?"

"No."

"Nervous?"

"I just want this to be over with."

"Elphaba, you should care about this. This is your transition into womanhood. You're growing up, and it's time you've started acting your age."

Elphaba's jaw tightened and she put away her book before snuggling under the covers and pretended to fall asleep.

Frex sighed and turned off the light. "Goodnight."

Silence echoed back at him.

* * *

Elphaba was silent on the carriage ride to the hotel the next afternoon. Nessa tried to get her sister to talk to her, but all Elphaba managed were a few words and small, forced smiles. Nessa, looking at her sister with wide, innocent eyes, simply passed her sister's actions off as a result of her nerves and settled soon. She soon fell asleep, leaning against Frex's shoulder. The Governor had brought a book, but couldn't take his gaze off of Elphaba. They arrived at the hotel just before sundown. "We're here," Frex said to Elphaba, gently shaking Nessa awake.

Elphaba nodded and shifted in her seat as Nessa slowly opened her eyes. Frex climbed down first, leaving the driver and Elphaba to help Nessa.

"Welcome, Governor," Miss Greyling said as she came out of the hotel to greet the Governor. "I am Miss Greyling, the director of the ball."

"A pleasure, Miss Greyling," Frex said, nodding slightly.

"And you must be Miss Nessarose. My, what a tragically beautiful face you have," Miss Greyling said as she stepped over to Nessa, who was now settled and situated in her chair.

The younger Thropp blushed. "Hello," she whispered shyly.

The director smiled and turned to Elphaba. "Everyone else is gathered inside. Tea and biscuits are in the ballroom."

Elphaba nodded and began to push her sister's wheelchair into the hotel. "Wow," Nessa whispered in awe as she looked up, admiring the architecture. "It's so beautiful."

"Elphie!" a voice called.

Elphaba looked up and smiled, seeing Galinda running towards her. She stepped around Nessa's chair and laughed softly as Galinda wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh my Oz! Are you excited? I'm so excited, Elphie! There's gonna be a get together in my room for all the girls and we're gonna tell stories and give each other makeovers and…" the blonde trailed off when she saw Nessa.

"Glin, this is my younger sister, Nessarose. Nessa, this is Galinda," Elphaba said, stepping behind her sister's wheelchair and placing her hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, of course. Hello, Miss Nessarose," Galinda nodded, suddenly remembering everything Elphaba told her when they first became friends.

"Hello," Nessa said shyly.

A silence past between the three girls and was interrupted by Frex coming over.

"Elphaba, I will take Nessa up to the room now," the Governor said.

"Yes, Father," Elphaba nodded, leaning down to hug her sister.

"Will you be up later, Fabala?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba shook her head. "I have to stay with Mayla."

The younger Thropp looked disappointed, but nodded as her father wheeled her away from her sister.

"So… that's your sister?" Galinda asked once the two were out of earshot.

Elphaba nodded. "Yes."

"She's very pretty."

Elphaba nodded again.

"Of course, you are, too, Elphie," the blonde quickly reassured her, taking her hands in her own. "Come, let's go into the ballroom."

Arm in arm, the two girls walked into the ballroom. A few of the other girls hurried over to greet Galinda, while giving Elphaba polite smiles and nods of acknowledgement. She had a few biscuits and sat with some of the other girls, but didn't converse with them, which is why she was relieved when Mayla came to get her and take her up to their room.

"Our suitcases are already upstairs," Mayla said as they took the lift up.

Elphaba nodded, half-distracted.

"Are you excited for the ball tomorrow?" Mayla asked, gently wrapping her arms around the green girl's shoulders.

"I guess," Elphaba shrugged as the door opened and they got off on their floor.

"I heard that there's a little party in Miss Galinda's room. Do you want to go?"

Again, Elphaba shrugged.

"I think you would have fun."

Elphaba paused, considering it. "Okay," she sighed.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to. I just think it would be good for you."

"I'll go."

Something about Elphaba's voice told Mayla that she really did want to go, but was trying her best not to show it. Smiling, she nodded and unlocked the room door and ushered the green girl inside. After unpacking, Mayla had Elphaba run her speech a few times before going over to Galinda's room.

"Hi, Elphie!" Galinda smiled when she opened the door. "Come on in."

Elphaba smiled and slowly entered the room. The other girls were seated on the floor in a circle, a plate of cookies in the middle.

"Hi, Elphaba," one of the girls said.

"Hi," Elphaba said, a bit shyly.

She got muttered and half-hearted "hi's" from the other girls as she sat down in their circle. Galinda immediately started a hair-braiding line. She turned and started to braid Elphaba's hair. When Elphaba turned, she saw Lydian giving her a skeptical look, but once she noticed Galinda narrowing her eyes at her, she reluctantly turned around and allowed the braiding line to continue.

Elphaba carefully weaved Lydian's long, light brown hair into an intricate braid. Once all the girls were done, Galinda's lady-in-waiting passed around a hand-mirror so all the girls could see.

"Thanks, Galinda," Elphaba smiled, looking in the mirror.

"You're welcome, Elphie," the blonde giggled.

Lydian was currently inspecting her hair, her face expressionless. Elphaba found herself holding her breath, for reasons not even she knew.

"This… looks nice, Elphaba. Thank you," Lydian finally said, giving the green girl a small smile.

"You're welcome, Lydian," Elphaba nodded, smiling back.

The girls spent the rest of the evening talking, practicing their speeches, and dancing with each other, despite the lack of music. The green girl found herself, for the first time ever, having fun. The other girls seemed to begin to accept her, even though they were still being a bit guarded when touching her. She knew they were only tolerating her because she was the Governor of Munchkinland's daughter, and for once, she was grateful for her status.

After the long evening of fun, the ladies-in-waiting came to pick up their young charges and take them back to their rooms.

"Did you have fun, Elphaba?" Mayla asked once Elphaba came out of the bathroom, dressed in her nightgown.

"I did," Elphaba admitted softly, going over to the dresser and grabbing her hairbrush.

"That's good. Did you mingle with the other girls?" Mayla asked as she gently took the brush from Elphaba and led her to the bed before beginning to brush her hair.

Elphaba made no objections to having her hair brushed and simply nodded. "Yeah. I had to, but it was okay."

Mayla nodded as she finished Elphaba's hair, tying it into a bun. Elphaba thanked her and climbed into bed with her book while Mayla went to get ready for bed. When the older woman came out, she found Elphaba fast asleep, her book lying open on her stomach. Chuckling, Mayla tiptoed over to the green girl and marked her page before closing the book and putting it on the adjacent nightstand. She tucked Elphaba in and lightly stroked her hair out of her face.

"Fresh dreams, Elphaba," she whispered before turning off the light and climbing into bed.

* * *

 **Two more chapters, everyone!**


	10. The Ball

**Well, well, well, look what I finally decided to update. I'm sorry this update took so long. Lots of procrastination.**

* * *

Mayla smiled as she opened her eyes the next morning. She looked over and saw the green girl still fast asleep. Smiling to herself, she quickly got out of bed and got herself ready for the big day. When she came out of the bathroom, Elphaba was beginning to wake up. "Good morning," she whispered as she sat down on the bed next to the green girl.

"Morning," Elphaba muttered sleepily.

"Are you excited for this big day?"

Elphaba pushed herself up and, yawning, shrugged. "I guess."

Mayla smiled as she helped the green girl out of bed. "You'll start feeling better once you start getting ready."

"Okay," Elphaba sighed.

Mayla gave the green girl a small smile and watched as she shuffled over to the bathroom. She grabbed her underclothes and robe before opening the door slightly and slipping them inside. She released the clothing when she felt Elphaba tug at them.

"I'm not wearing the suit?" Elphaba questioned.

"You won't have to put it on until later today," Mayla smiled.

Elphaba didn't say anything in response, but put on her underclothes and robe. When she came out, she saw Mayla patiently waiting for her.

"Let's rehearse your speech before going down to breakfast," Mayla suggested, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Elphaba nodded and recited her speech. She did her best to emphasize words and make it sound like she was happy, just as she was instructed. When she finished, Mayla nodded and the two went down to breakfast.

"Elphie!" Galinda squealed when she saw her best friend. She ran full-speed towards her and wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulder. "Are you excited?"

"Sure," Elphaba offered half-heartedly, hugging the blonde back.

Galinda released her friend and gently patted her blonde pin curls to make sure they were still in place. "They set up a continental breakfast for us. They don't want us eating a lot, in case we get nervous."

Elphaba nodded and allowed the blonde to lead her away to the buffet. She got a small plate and filled with strawberries and apple slices. She sat down with Galinda and two of the other girls and they ate quietly, chattering about how nervous and excited they were.

Elphaba looked down at her food, only half-listening to the conversation. She finished her last apple slice, then excused herself. As she walked away, she bumped into Fiyero, who was making his way back to the other boys with a plate of food.

"Hi," he said, somewhat awkwardly.

"Hi," Elphaba whispered, equally as awkwardly.

The prince shuffled his feet for a bit, looking like he wanted to say something. "Well… good luck. Today, I mean."

"Thanks."

Fiyero nodded and moved past Elphaba to where the rest of the boys were sitting. Elphaba turned and watched him go, wishing that she could identify the feeling growing inside of her stomach. Shaking her thoughts away, she went in search of Mayla.

"Elphaba, there you are," Mayla smiled when she saw the green girl. "It's time to get ready now."

Elphaba nodded and followed the older woman down the long corridor to a small room. She was surprised to see Galinda already there, getting her makeup done.

"Elphie!" the blonde giggled, then was scolded by the makeup artist for moving.

"Hi," the green girl smiled.

"Oh, this is gonna be so much fun! Are you nervous? I feel like butterflies are going gymnastics in my stomach, but I suppose that's normal."

Elphaba was ushered into a seat next to be blonde and listened as she chatted a mile a minute. In all honesty, she was nervous. She was nervous that she was going to fail and make an even bigger fool of herself. She wanted to protest having her makeup done, but knew it couldn't be any use. She just sat as dark purple eye shadow, blush and lip-gloss was applied to her face and she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Oh, Elphie, you look so pretty," the blonde gushed.

Elphaba simply stared at her reflection. She had to admit, if it wasn't for her green skin, she would actually look pretty. Instead of voicing that thought, she simply accepted Galinda's compliment. "Thanks."

"Alright, girls, time to get ready," Galinda's lady-in-waiting said, clapping her hands twice.

Galinda slipped her hand into Elphaba's and Elphaba looked down at their joint hands before looking up at her and smiling. Giggling, the blonde gently squeezed her friend's hand and led her out of the room.

When they got to the small dressing room, most of the girls were already in their suits. Most of them were pacing, trying to ebb away at their nerves, while the rest of the girls sat at a table, sipping water and trying to concentrate on something.

Galinda's lady-in-waiting helped her into her hot pink business suit, and started to brush her hair and style it into an elegant bun.

"You look beautiful, Elphaba," Mayla said as she looked at Elphaba in her suit.

The green girl looked at herself in the mirror. "Thanks."

"Attention, ladies! It's almost time!" Miss Greyling said as she entered the room. "You all look simply lovely. Your parents will be very proud of you."

The girls began to chatter happily. Galinda gripped her best friend's arm, seeming terrified. "I'm so nervous, Elphie."

"Don't be, Glin. You'll be great," Elphaba reassured her friend.

Galinda nodded and slowly released her friend's arm, following the rest of the girls out of the dressing room.

They stood, in alphabetical order, outside the large, double-doors of the ballroom. Elphaba stood right in front of Galinda. If she focused enough, she could feel the blonde's nervous breath down her neck. She heard the music start from within the ballroom and the doors opened and the girls began to walk into the room to everyone's applause.

Elphaba tried her best to smile as everyone clapped. She felt like she was on display, which she technically was. She looked out at everyone from where she stood on the stage. She saw her father and Nessa dutifully clapping for her from a table near the back and quickly averted her gaze.

"Welcome, everyone!" Mr. Brion said from a podium to the side of the stage. "We welcome you to the Emerald City's biennial debutante ball. This afternoon, we have all of these lovely, young ladies, who will all be completing for the title of 'Queen'."

Elphaba heard Galinda suck in a breath.

"So without further ado, let us begin with contestant number one."

Lydian stepped forward to the microphone, and air of confidence surrounding her. "It's not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It's necessary."

After what seamed like forever, it was Elphaba's turn. The green girl stepped forward to the microphone and delivered her speech with clarity and conviction. She looked out of the corner of her eye at her father and saw that, if she were to squint, which she didn't dare think of doing, she might have been able to see the corners of his mouth curled slightly upward in a small smile. Before she knew it, she had finished her speech and stepped back, giving everyone a small curtsy before going back to her spot in line.

Galinda's speech was delivered flawlessly. The blonde was obviously good at hiding her nerves, Elphaba noted. Once everyone was done, the music started again and the girls followed Lydian down the steps in front of the stage and out the double doors. Once they were out of the ballroom, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and began to analyze their speeches.

"I think I spoke too fast."

"I could have sworn the judges were about to fall sleep when I was presenting."

"I forgot one of my hobbies."

Elphaba felt someone's arms around her and she turned around to see Mayla behind her. "You were fantastic, Elphaba."

"Thank you."

"You were, Elphie," the blonde smiled.

"You were, too, Glin."

"Now, let's get you girls into your dresses," Mayla smiled, wrapping an arm around Elphaba's shoulders and led her back into the dressing room.

"Oh, Elphie," the blonde said once she saw Elphaba in her dress.

Elphaba turned and looked at herself in the mirror. She almost didn't recognize herself. She had to admit, the dress was very beautiful, and she looked decent in it.

"You look so beautiful," Galinda smiled, slowly approaching her friend.

"You do, Elphaba," Mayla said as she helped Elphaba with her gloves, shoes, and tiara. "You look like a princess."

Elphaba looked at the finished product and for once, agreed that she did, in fact, look beautiful.

"No crying!" Galinda said, taking off her gloves to wipe a tear from Elphaba's eyes before washing her finger, just in case any makeup rubbed off on her.

Elphaba turned to Mayla and gently wrapped her arms around her. "Thank you," she whispered.

Mayla smiled and hugged her back. "You're welcome, Elphaba."

Elphaba stayed seated in the dressing room until it was her turn. Once it was time, she slowly rose to her feet and walked over to the large double doors, where her father and Mayla were waiting for her.

"Elphaba…" Frex said when he saw his daughter. His eyes widened slightly and he fought to keep himself from gaping. "You look… beautiful."

Elphaba blinked and looked up at her father. She opened her mouth to respond, but Miss Greyling pushed her into position and barely had enough time to hurry out of the way before the doors opened.

Elphaba quickly put on her best smile and slowly entered the ballroom. She heard everyone 'ooh' and 'ahh' at her, and she began to feel a bit uncomfortable, but knew she had to push the feeling aside for the moment.

As they were called, Mayla and Frex came into the ballroom and stood next to her, Frex to her right and Mayla to her left. One of the flower girls crossed the ballroom and gently placed Elphaba's flowers in her arms. She stepped back and curtsied to her. Elphaba curtsied back, just as rehearsed and watched as the flower girl walked away. Once she was out of sight, Elphaba began to do her walk around the ballroom, curtsying to the four points she had rehearsed. Once she was finished, she was led to the center of the ballroom.

"Miss Elphaba is being escorted by Master Avaric Tenmeadows."

The doors opened and Avaric walked in. Elphaba realized that this was the first time she saw Avaric that day. He looked very nice in his sharp suit and combed hair. He walked up behind Frex and tapped him on the shoulder. Frex turned and placed a gentle kiss in Elphaba's hair before walking back to his seat. The green girl turned to her lady-in-waiting and gave her a grateful smile before hugging her. Once Mayla was seated, Elphaba turned back to Avaric and placed her hand on top of his fist and began to walk around the ballroom again while Mr. Brion read the biography she had written about herself. Avaric then led her up to the stage and turned around so they were facing the audience.

"Debutante, present yourself," Mr. Brion said once he finished the speech.

Avaric stepped aside and Elphaba prepared to do her bow. She made sure to go slow and concentrated on what she was doing, because the last thing she wanted to do was fall on her face. She counted to herself in her head and executed her bow without messing up. She accepted Avaric's hand and gracefully rose back to her feet. Everyone applauded as Avaric led her to her seat and stood behind her.

Once everyone had gone, Mr. Brion called the debutantes and the escorts to the dance floor for the waltz. Once they were all on the floor, the music began and they began to dance. Elphaba looked at Avaric, who looked like he was trying very hard not to throw up because he was so close to the green girl, who was also his future wife.

Once the waltz ended, Mr. Brion excused the escorts and asked for all the fathers to come and dance with their daughters. Elphaba looked up as her father took her hand and placed his other hand on her waist. The music started again and everyone began to laugh as they danced. Elphaba looked over at Galinda, who was giggling madly as she danced with her father. Elphaba looked back at her own father and realized that he was smiling at her. She smiled back, beginning to feel herself slowly relax. She began to enjoy the rest of the dance with her father, something she never pictured herself doing in a million years.

Once the waltz was over, the escorts came back and escorted the debutantes back up onto the stage for awards.

"First up, we have a general participation award for all the girls, because they all worked very hard," Mr. Brion said as the flower girls handed out the awards. "Next, we will present the award for Miss Congeniality." He took the envelope from the judges and opened it. "Miss Ashli Hyrdan."

Everyone clapped politely as Ashli accepted the award and flowers.

"Next, we have the Director's Award, chosen by myself. And the award goes to Miss Elphaba Thropp."

Elphaba looked up smiled, not expecting to get anything. She accepted the award and flowers from the flower girl, who curtsied before walking away.

"The second runner up." Mr. Brion took the envelope from the judges and carefully opened it. "Miss Katye Kean."

Katye's mother and father stood up and clapped loudly for their daughter, who blushed as she accepted her award and flowers.

Mr. Brion took another envelope. "The first runner up… Miss Lydian Troves."

Lydian blushed and giggled as she accepted her award and a slightly fuller bouquet of flowers than the others.

"And now… the moment we've all been waiting for, it's time to see who will be the queen." Everyone held their breath as Mr. Brion slowly opened a large, green envelope. "Miss Galinda Upland!"

The whole ballroom burst into cheers and applause as one of the flower girls carried up the crown on a pillow, another one carrying her award, and the other one carrying a large bouquet of roses. Galinda stood up, her escort behind her, and walked to the center of the stage. Mr. Brion walked up onto the stage and gently removed Galinda's princess tiara before replacing it with the crown. Galinda didn't even bother to fight the tears streaming down her face as she looked out over everyone. She curtsied deeply and met Elphaba's gaze. The green girl was beaming at her, clapping just as enthusiastically as everyone else.

'Congratulations, Galinda.' she mouthed, knowing how much this meant to the blonde.

'Thank you, Elphie.' Galinda mouthed back.

Elphaba looked out over all the people clapping for them. She couldn't believe it, and she would never admit this out loud to anyone outside her family, but she actually enjoyed herself for the first time in her life.

* * *

 **The next chapter will be the final chapter, with some Fiyeraba. Reviews are much appreciated.**


	11. The Morning After

"Oh, Elphie, I'm gonna miss you so much!"

Elphaba smiled as she blonde tightly wrapped her arms around her. "I'll miss you, too, Glin."

"We'll see each other again, right?"

Elphaba knew the chances of seeing the blonde again were very slim, but didn't want to upset her. "Sure."

Galinda squealed and tightened her grip around her best friend. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

The blonde painfully tore away from the green girl and gave her a watery smile before walking out the door, two doormen following her with her luggage.

Elphaba watched her go, a sad smile on her face. She was losing the only friend she ever had. A single tear slid down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away.

"Miss Elphaba!" The green girl turned and saw Mr. Brion approaching her. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your performance at the ball yesterday."

"Thank you," Elphaba said, smiling a bit.

"You've come a very long way these past few months. That's the main reason I decided to give you the director's award."

Elphaba found herself blushing. "Thank you."

"I wish you luck in the future," Mr. Brion smiled, nodding to the green girl before walking off.

Elphaba sighed contently and turned around, only to come face-to-face with Avaric.

"Green bean," he greeted her.

"Jerk."

"The white dress really managed to bring out your green skin."

"As if no one noticed it already."

The two stared each other down, neither of them wanting to back down first. Finally, Avaric broke his gaze and turned away.

Elphaba smirked. "See you in a few years, _fiancée_."

Avaric cringed. "Don't remind me." He looked the green girl up and down. "Bye."

"Bye."

Elphaba watched as he walked away, hoping to never see his face until she had to. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and turned to see Fiyero. "Oh… hi."

"Hi. You… you looked really pretty yesterday," Fiyero smiled, blushing and awkwardly shuffling his feet.

"Thank you. You looked… handsome."

"Thanks."

Elphaba opened her mouth, but closed it again. Why was she always so awkward around Fiyero? They were friends, of course, but there was something different about him.

"So… I'll see you around?" Fiyero asked.

"What? Oh, yeah, see you around."

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Um… Elphaba, can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

The prince chuckled playfully. "Can I ask you something else?"

"You just did. Oz, Fiyero, just ask me."

Fiyero stepped closer and Elphaba felt her temperature rise. What was she feeling?"

"Can I… um… kiss you?"

Elphaba's eyes widened. Did Fiyero just ask to kiss her? No boy had ever wanted to kiss her before.

"Goodbye, I mean. Kiss you goodbye," the prince added when he saw the look on the green girl's face.

Elphaba thought about it. Did she want to kiss Fiyero? They had become close friend, but their lives were on two completely different paths. She knew that it was very unlikely that they would ever see each other again, and she soon found herself nodding.

Fiyero smiled shyly as he gently pressed his lips against Elphaba's. The green girl felt her blood rushing to her face and quickly melted into the kiss. Fiyero gently pulled away after a few second and shuffled his feet.

"Well… um… bye, Elphaba."

"Bye… Fiyero."

The prince gave her a goofy smile before turning on his heels and walking away. Elphaba gently placed her hand against her lips, secretly hoping no one, especially her father and sister, had seen that.

"Elphaba!"

The green girl looked up and saw her father approaching with her sister. He didn't seem angry, so he must not have seen the kiss. "Father."

"It's time to leave now," Frex said.

Elphaba nodded and took over pushing her sister out the door, while Frex directed the doormen with the luggage. Nessa seemed perfectly content with gushing about how pretty all the girls looked at the ball and how much she wished she could be like them. Once everything was in the carriage, Elphaba and Frex helped Nessa inside before climbing in behind her.

"Did you have a nice time, Fabala?" Nessa asked.

The green girl smiled at her younger sister. "Yes, I did, Nessie."

Nessa beamed. "I knew you would. And you looked to pretty in your suit and dress."

The carriage sped off down the road and Elphaba looked back as the Emerald City vanished from sight. As the large buildings became a small spec in the distance, Elphaba clung to the hope that she would see her friends again.

And deep down, she knew she would.

* * *

 **The End.**

 **Short chapter, I know, but I wanted to tie it all together with a bit of Fiyeraba. Hope you all enjoyed this story! Thank you to everyone who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed. It means the world to me.**


End file.
